Steel container fitting



Feb. 18, 1936. w EVANS u STEEL CONTAINER FITTING Filed Aug. 7, 1934 INVENToR. Z/e/x/e//g/f? 1/ 5 BY da@ ATTORNEY Ieven when exposed to abnormal rough usage, be-

Patemed A Feb. 1s, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT f OFFICE vSTEEL CONTAINER FITTING Application August -'7, 1934, Serial No. 738,799

8 Claims.

Thev invention relates to fittings which are provided about bung holes and the like of steel containers in' order to permit the use of screw-- threaded bungs or plugs for closing the holes.

An object of the invention is to provide a fitting of the character described which will not,

come loosened in the hole and permit of either axial or rotative displacement of the fitting therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fitting of the character described which will afford a continuous and uninterrupted surface from the inside of the container to and over the normal surface of the` container at the' exposed side thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ntting of the character described which will not require the -formation in the container of any rib or angular rim either at the edge of the hole or other portion of the container.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to thedrawing:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan of the tting as operatively positioned in the container wall.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section view of thev fitting taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but, with the plane of the section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the iitting bushing.

Figure 5 is a top view of the iitting as positioned on the container.

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to the Figure 3, but showing la modiiied construction.

The fitting of my invention has its principal use in connection with large metal containers such as steel drums, and is arranged to be applied to a hole in the side or end walls 'of the container so that as aforesaid the hole may be closed and sealed with a bung or plug byl screw-threaded connection with-the fitting. As illustrated in the drawing; the fitting of my invention is applied to a hole 3 formed in the end wall 4 of a steel drum. In the present embodiment the tting is formed essentially of two cooperating parts., to

wit, a bushing member Ii and a backing plate I,` the former being arranged to extend through the hole and overlie the exposed side of the container wall, while the latter is designed for positioning on the wall on the inside of the container.

The bushing member 6 may be formed of relatively heavy sheet metal of uniform thickness, such as in the design illustrated in Figure 6, or it may, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, be made of other stock and wrought into form with the Various portions thereof of different thicknesses. As here shown the greater portion of the bushing member is arranged to be disposed at the outer side of the container and is in theform of a vilange 8 designed to overlie a substantial portion of the container adjacent the hole. Preferably the underside of the ange is formed with an annular recess 9 sol as to accommodate the edge portion I2 of the container wall which is folded backward against the adjacent portion of the wall so as to provide a substantial reenforcement all around the edge of the hole.

The body of the bushing member which includes the portion I3 designed to extend through the hole is provided with internal threads I4 with which the complementary threads on the bung orr plug (not shown) for closing the hole are arranged to engage.

The `backing plate 'I is annular in form corresponding to the bushing member and, as will be clear from the sectional views of the drawing, the inner,.face I6 defines an opening preferably of the same diameter as and arranged to register with the hole 3.- Likewise preferably corresponding with the diameter of the hole 3, .is the outer side I'I of the bushing portion- I3, and by .reason thereof when the latter is disposed in the hole 3 and in the opening of the plate the various j parts will be rmly held against relative transverse displacement on the container wall. 0

Co-acting means are provided on the flange and plate for interlocking the'bushing member and plate against rotation one with respect to the other and both with respect to the container wall.

In therpresent embodiment such means are pro- 45 viddonthe faces of the ange and plate lying in opposed relation when operatively assembled, and comprise complementary male and female portions respectively provided on the parts in the order mentioned. 'I'he male portions are prefer- 5 0 ably in the form of one or more rounded protuberances IB desirably formed integral with the ange and arranged in circumferentially spaced relation while the female portions are in the form of apertures I9 provided in the plate and arranged 55 in the same relation as and for cooperation with the protuberances I 8. It will be understood that owing to the solid interposition of the container wall between the male and female parts, interlocking of the one in the other may be effected with the present design only in connection with such wall. Accordingly in assembling the parts in operative position, the flange and plate are caused to be forced toward one another whereby the protuberances will be pressed against the container wall to form therein depressions 2i which will engage and seat in the apertures I9 and thereby lock all of the parts against rotational displacement. Desirably the flange is forced inwardly suiiicient to bring all portions along the peripheral edge thereof in contact with the container wall so as to avoid any open cracks between the iiange and wall. It may also be here noted that since the outer surface of the bushing Y spaces will be afforded for the collection of foreign matter or for interfering with the smooth flow of the contents from the container.

As part of the means of forcing and holding together'the flange and plate there is provided on the bushing member a secondary flange 22 which is located at lthe lower extremity of the member and is arranged to be forced over and upon the exposed side 23 of the plate so as to forcibly lock the bushing and plate to the container wall and against axial displacement relative thereto and to one another. Preferably the operation of forcing the projections I8 into the container wall and the forcing of the secondary flange 22 around the plate is effected simultaneously. If desired a gasket 2l may be placed inthe flange recess 9 so as to insure a sealed joint between bushing member and the container wall, the gasket being normally of such size that it lwill be greatly compressed when the members are forced together. 1

It is of importance to note that since the retention of the bushing member in position Von the container is eifected by direct attachment of the member to the backing plate rather than to the wall, the strains caused by rough usage of the container and fitting tending to effect disjoinder of the bushing member thereon, will be primarily absorbed not by the relatively thin wall of the container but by the heavy backing plate, and, owing to the large area of engagement between the member and plate, when the strains are imparted to the wall, they will be distributed over a large portion of the container instead of a few localized points adjacent the hole.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figure 6, the backing plate 1 is provided on its under side with an annular shoulder 26 around which the secondary flange 22 of the bushing member is drawn so as to insure a locked joint lbetween the plate and member.

combination with a wall having an opening, of' a threaded bushing member extending through said opening and having a portion surrounding said opening on one side of said wall, a backing member surrounding said opening on the other side of said wall, coacting offset and recessed means on said members for locking same to the wall r, against rotational displacement about said opening, and means to hold the members together' against displacement axially of the opening.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a wall having an opening, of 10 a bushing member extending through said opening and havingva portion surrounding said-,opening on one side of said wall, a backing member surrounding said opening on the other side .of said wall, coacting interlocking means on the said members and wall for holding said members against rotational displacement on the wall, and means to lock said members together against displacement axially of said opening.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a wall having an opening of a unit extending through said opening and having portions surrounding the same on opposite sides of said wall, said wall being provided with offset portions and each of said portions of said unit being provided with parts interlocked with each other through the medium of said offset wall portions to preventrotative displacement of said unit in the opening.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a wall of a metal container or the like having an opening, a threaded bushing member extending through said opening and having a flange' on the outer side of said wall. surrounding said opening, a backing member .'53 surrounding said opening at the inner -side of said wall, complementary male and female portions on lsaid flange and backing member arranged for locking said members against rotative displacement on vsaid wall, the portion of the wall 40 between said flange and backing member being formed with a seat for reception of said male 5.- ma. deviceof the character described. the 4s combination with a wall having an opening, a bushing unit extending through said opening and having a iiange surrounding said opening at one side of said wall, a backing member surrounding said opening at the other side of said wall, interlocking portions on said flange and wall and backing member extending one within the other for preventing rotative displacement'of the backing member relative to the wall, and'means holding the backing member and bushing unit against relative axial displacement.

6. In a devlce of the character described, the combination with a wall having anl opening, a bushing member extending through said opening and having a flange at one side of said wall surrounding said opening, a backing member surrounding said opening at the other side of said wall, interengaging male and female portions on said wall and backing member arranged to prevent rotative displacement of the member on the wall, and means to secure said bushing member and backing member against relative axial displacement. 1

7. In a device -of 'the character described, the combination with a wall having an opening and depressed to provide male and female portions on reverse sides thereof, a bushing member extending through said opening and having `a flange surrounding same at one side of said wall and provided with male portions engaging said female 7s a,osi,sso

portions, a backing member surrounding said opening at the other side of said wall and pro` vided with female' portions engaged by the male portions of said wall, and means to hold the bushing member and backing members against axial displacement on the wall.

8. In a device of the character described. the' combination with a wall having an opening, a bushing member extending through said opening and having a portion surrounding said opening at one side of said wall, a backing member surrounding said opening at the other side of said wall and having an annular axially extending shoulder adjacent the inner edge thereof, cooperating parts on said members for holding same against rotative displacement on the wall. means to prevent relative axial displacement of said members comprising a :lange on said bushing member extending over and around said shoulder, and a sealing gasket between said bushing portion and said wall.

LLEWELLYN W. EVANS. 

